How to Select the Right Toilet for Your Client

When renovating a bathroom, replacing the toilet can improve performance and use less water, which will obviously save your client on water bills and provide for a more efficient home.

Saving Water = Saving Dollars

Adrianna Miller, product manager with Mansfield Plumbing, recommends starting the search by looking for toilets marked with the WaterSense label. WaterSense is a partnership program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that seeks to protect the future of our nation’s water supply by offering suggestions for using less water with water-efficient products. Toilets earning the WaterSense label have been certified to be at least 20 percent more efficient without sacrificing performance.

A Water Savings Calculator can help determine how much savings a family can gain by investing in different types of toilets. For example, a family of five can potentially save 20,257 gallons of water a year using a 1.28 GPF toilet, which can equate to an estimated $80 savings in water bills.

The Right Height

When replacing a toilet, consider the height from the floor to the top of the toilet seat. The standard toilet height is anywhere from 14-3/4 to 15-1/2 inches, but there are other versions available that provide more comfortable access for users.

“As we age, it’s more difficult to get up and down from a low-height toilet,” said Miller. “Taller toilets are easier to use for many people, including those who are taller themselves or have physical challenges.”

Style Counts

Another important consideration for toilet selection is style of the toilet itself. There are both one- and two-piece toilet options, with choices of round or elongated shaped bowls. Different locations for the flushing handle (which can be on the front, side or top of the tank) should be considered, along with colors choices, which traditionally include white, bone and biscuit.

Finally, look at the styles of toilets with both exposed and concealed trapways. The trap performs the important function of removing waste from the toilet bowl during the flushing system. In some toilets you can see the outline of where this plumbing feature occurs at the base and back of the toilet, whereas in others the design completely covers the trapway.

“Selecting a new toilet is all about personal choices that work best for you and your family,” said Miller. “There are sleek-looking designs for contemporary spaces along with more traditional designs. Whether you’re looking for clean, classic lines or soft curves, there’s the ideal toilet for everyone.”

– Courtesy of Mansfield Plumbing

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 26th, 2015 at 5:26 PM and is filed under Aging in Place, Bath Design, Green, Products, Projects. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.